A former executive from Facebook, Sarah Wynn-Williams, recently testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee, making serious allegations against the social media giant. She claimed that the company has compromised national security by revealing critical information about U.S. artificial intelligence initiatives to China, all in the name of expanding its business in the Chinese market.
During her testimony, Wynn-Williams emphasized the ongoing battle in artificial intelligence between the United States and China. She asserted that during her tenure at Meta (formerly Facebook), executives were not honest with employees, shareholders, and the public about their dealings with the Chinese Communist Party.
Her recent book, “Careless People,” which details her experiences at Meta, has seen rapid success, selling 60,000 copies within its first week and climbing into the top 10 on Amazon’s best-seller list. Wynn-Williams also suggested that Meta attempted to undermine her credibility through threats and intimidation, a claim supported by Senator Richard Blumenthal from Connecticut during the hearing.
Wynn-Williams worked as the director of global public policy at Facebook from 2011 until her dismissal in 2017. She claimed that over the course of her seven years with the company, executives continually put U.S. national security at risk in order to cultivate favorable relations with Beijing and grow their business to a substantial $18 billion.
She also pointed out an incident where Meta reportedly deleted the Facebook account of a notable Chinese dissident living in the United States, succumbing to pressure from the Chinese government.
In response, Meta has dismissed her allegations, stating that her testimony does not reflect the truth and contains numerous inaccuracies. The company insists that while Mark Zuckerberg has previously spoken about the intention to operate in China, they currently do not provide services there.
This Senate hearing coincides with an important moment for Meta, as it faces a significant antitrust trial led by the Federal Trade Commission, which could result in the company having to sell off popular platforms like Instagram and WhatsApp.
